Record-breaking rainfall and historic flooding disrupted life for Vallecito residents last weekend, northeast of Durango.
While La Plata County continued damage assessments this week, official estimates have not yet been released.
The scope of the storm can, in part, be told through the numbers: homes evacuated, sandbags deployed, hours of labor logged.
Here are some of the key figures to help quantify the storm’s impact:
390
On Oct. 11, 390 homes were evacuated as rain fell in the mountains above Vallecito, causing Vallecito and Grimes creeks to flood.
All evacuations were lifted at 8 a.m. Thursday. La Plata County reported some roads could still be impassable as a result of damage or continuing water flows.
Returning residents were required to show rapid tags to reenter their neighborhoods. The county asked commercial propane, trash and septic providers to check in at the Vallecito Community Center for instructions for reentry. It said traffic needed to be kept to a minimum to allow homeowners to get in and assess their properties.
7,000
Rain from Tropical Storm Priscilla – Oct. 10 through Oct. 12 – caused Vallecito Creek to overflow its banks and peak at 7,000 cfs, said Matt Aleksa, meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Grand Junction.
La Plata County reported up to 7,200 cfs on Vallecito Creek and described the Oct. 11 flooding from Vallecito and Grimes creeks as “unprecedented.”
Aleksa said the Animas River peaked at 5,000 cfs. The San Juan River in Pagosa Springs, which also experienced major flooding, peaked at 8,200 cfs and rose to 12.7 feet.
Tropical Storm Raymond, which quickly followed Priscilla on Monday and lasted through Wednesday, proved less intense for Vallecito and Durango but more severe in Pagosa Springs and Archuleta County, he said. The San Juan River peaked again at 8,500 cfs and rose to 12.8 feet.
9.5
During the multiday storm, Vallecito received nearly 9.5 inches of rain, according to SNOTEL data.
Priscilla dumped 5 inches in Vallecito, at least 3 inches in Durango and up to 4 inches in Pagosa Springs, Aleksa said. Wolf Creek Pass received 5 to 6 inches, according to SNOTEL precipitation data.
Raymond added 1.6 inches to Durango and up to 2 inches elsewhere in La Plata County. Hermosa received 2.5 inches, and Silverton saw 2.9 inches.
No. 1
Vallecito’s 5 inches of rain from Oct. 10 through Oct. 11 topped area records dating back to 1986 for most precipitation – rain or snow – over a two-day period, Aleksa said. The other top four recorded events for most precipitation within two days in Vallecito were for snow.
Aleksa said it’s not uncommon for weather events to bring mixed precipitation – rain and snow – but because Priscilla was a tropical storm and conditions were mild, all of the precipitation fell as rain.
“If you think about that volume of water coming down, it's like you took the snowpack and melted it all at once, and then all of it just comes rushing down,” he said. “Some of it was absorbed, of course, in the ground, but a lot of that did run down into the rivers, causing the higher flows and the flooding in some of those areas like Vallecito and Pagosa.”
33
Thirty-three American Red Cross volunteers from across the state assembled in Bayfield and Pagosa Springs to assist evacuees by providing shelter, food and basic accommodations, according to a news release.
More volunteers are arriving to help each day, the Red Cross said.
The Red Cross opened shelters at Pine River Shares in Bayfield and the Pagosa Springs Community Center, providing 24 overnight stays and three meals daily to residents in the immediate aftermath of the flood.
Disaster assessment teams are canvassing Vallecito and Pagosa Springs to evaluate the extent of the damage. Once complete, eligible homeowners may receive financial assistance, the release said.
On Thursday, the Red Cross began distributing emergency supplies at the Vallecito Community Center, 17252 County Road 501 in Bayfield.
Residents can call 1-800-REDCROSS for updated distribution locations.
40
The La Plata County Sheriff’s Office dispatched 40 deputies, all of whom worked extensive overtime, said Sheriff’s spokesman Chris Burke.
10
Crews of 10 Road and Bridge employees worked on clearing culverts of debris to keep water flowing under bridges. Their efforts were largely successful, Burke said.
24/7
Crews of four La Plata County Sheriff’s deputies staffed evacuation checkpoints near Vallecito around the clock, Burke said.
5
Five pets evacuated with their families were housed at the La Plata County Humane Society, and six animal crates were donated to the Bayfield shelter sites, said Julie Dreyfuss, executive director of the La Plata County Humane Society.
30
Vallecito residents were given only 30 minutes to assess damage and collect belongings Wednesday and Thursday. Twenty deputies assisted with reentry operations both days, Burke said.
More numbers
La Plata County Administrative Analyst Sarah Jacobson said 250 pizzas and sandwiches were provided to Vallecito flood responders from Oct. 11 through Oct. 16.
The meals were provided to county staff and Emergency Operation Center personnel including Road and Bridge workers, search and rescue volunteers, sheriff’s deputies, and the Building Department and Assessor’s Office employees conducting field assessments.
Thousands of sandbags were deployed, including 84 tons of sand hauled by the Road and Bridge Department, she said.
Six dump truck loads of sand were taken to the La Plata County Fairgrounds and six additional dump truck loads were taken to Upper Pine River Fire Protection Station 1.
Fourteen more tons of sand were hauled to Fort Lewis Mesa Fire Station 1, Jacobson said.
An estimated 100 volunteers filled sandbags for Upper Pine fire.
On Oct. 12, two homes were destroyed to prevent them from spilling into Vallecito Creek, she said.
An estimated five homes sustained severe damage.
Flooding moved “many” propane tanks which could have gas line damage, she said. Pressure tests on the tanks and possible repairs are required before they can be put back to use.
The EOC received 649 calls as of 2:30 p.m. Thursday.
Collectively, 135 personnel were stationed in the EOC and the field since emergency response began through Thursday afternoon.
– Christian Burney
cburney@durangoherald.com
epond@durangoherald.com
